Virginia Belle Donaldson McKay

Virginia Belle Donaldson McKay was born on July 20, 1918 in Devlin, Ontario, Canada and passed away peacefully on November 1, 2006 in Houston, Texas.

Born into a family of hardy resilient pioneers, Virginia’s parents and grand-parents moved from the Great Lakes states in the mid 1800’s to homestead the rugged wooded wilderness of western Ontario. Today, most of Virginia’s extended family continues to reside in that same Rainy Lake region of Ontario.

On November 19, 1937 Virginia married William Donald “Bill” McKay, friends since childhood. After enduring the Great Depression, Virginia and Bill left rural Burriss Township to start a new life in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was the beginning of World War II, and work was plentiful in a Great Lakes shipping port at the head of Lake Superior.

Following the war in 1946, Virginia and Bill moved to Espanola, Ontario, bought their first car in 1951 and lived there until 1954 when they moved to Texas. It was then, at 38 years of age, Virginia learned to drive a car.

After fifty years of marriage and retirement to Kerrville, Texas in 1979, Virginia became a widow in 1988. Until the past six years, Virginia never lost her own resilience, independent spirit, kindness and giving nature. A devout Jehovah Witness since the mid 1950’s, Virginia relished cooking and baking delicious foods for church and family functions and for friends. She also grew flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and successfully nurtured fledglings who fell from nests to successful independent flight. Virginia liked to laugh and did so easily and often, never complained and always was gentle, good-natured, and happy.

Until she was 82 years old, Virginia was able to maintain her valued independence, living alone, and continuing to drive herself wherever she wanted to go, which was often to her daughter’s home some four hours away and, as always, with Virginia’s very special freshly baked lemon pie secured in the trunk of the car.

Virginia is predeceased by her parents, Guy Norris Donaldson and Sophie Myrtle Black Donaldson; one brother Morris Bradford Donaldson; infant sister Sophie Myrtle Donaldson. Virginia is survived by daughters Kim Boudreau and husband Andrew, Greta Nerren and husband Clarence; three grandchildren, Bryan Richardson, Kenneth Richardson, Leslie Nerren-Shouse and husband John; one great-grandchild Belle Shouse, sisters & brothers-in-law, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Friday November 10, 2006 at 2:00 pm at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses in Silsbee, Texas. A graveside service will follow in Kerrville, Texas at Glen Rest Cemetery.

The family expresses their sincere gratitude to the doctors and nurses who cared for Virginia through her final days at Houston Hospice. Memorials may be made to Houston Hospice and Palliative Care System, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030-4123 (www.houstonhospice.org), to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org), or to your local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses.